This is the fifth year that the council has teamed up with the charity Frontline to give people a unique route into the profession, through which they will benefit from intensive practical and academic training tailored to their needs.
Dozens of people applied to take part with the successful candidates Beth Poynton, Stacie Winton King, Diana Jerez and Rafika Samuel joining a summer institute before arriving in Wolverhampton in September.
Over the next two years they will work with children, young people and their families while qualifying as a social worker in their first year and working towards a full Masters qualification in their second, also their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE), under the guidance of Consultant Social Worker Charmayne Dean.
Although the focus of their work will be within children’s social care services, the group will also be given experience of adult social care, disability services and fostering.
Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We have now offered the Frontline programme in Wolverhampton for five years running, and we are delighted to be giving more people a unique introduction to social work and the chance to learn through practice whilst they are also supported in their academic studies.
"The programme has provided the council with numerous qualified social workers, all of whom have completed an intense programme of both academic and practical studies working with some of our most vulnerable families in Wolverhampton and who have gone on to take permanent positions within the council. This is really important, particularly given the recruitment pressures there are within social work nationally.
"I would like to welcome our latest cohort to Wolverhampton and wish them the very best as they embark on their social work careers with the council.”
Beth said: "The focus on practice experience and time in placement that Frontline offers made it the perfect programme for me to start my social work career with. I'm very thankful to have been placed with Wolverhampton and grateful to everyone for all the support and learning opportunities I've been given so far on this journey.”
Stacie, a mature student and a mother to three young children, said: "Frontline has provided me with the perfect opportunity to train to be a social worker whilst receiving a full-time bursary and attaining a master’s degree. I am excited to see what the next two years bring and look forward to supporting more families whilst continuing to learn from experienced and inspirational practitioners."
Diana said: "As a career change I wanted to be on a programme that would be able to offer me the best start to a social work career. Frontline offered me just that, as it gave me a chance to put into practise what I was learning at university from day one in a local authority."
And Rafika added: "I’ve always wanted to work with children and families where I can inspire change and empower those who are marginalised and disadvantaged. Frontline has afforded a great opportunity where I can become the best social worker I can be, while achieving a master’s degree."
For more information about the Frontline programme, please visit Frontline.
